yellow lab & cobalt zebra

[veen]

last week i picked up a juvie yellow lab & cobalt blue zebra. they're the only ones in their tank and so far have shown no aggression toward each other. the only problem is that they will not eat the cichlid staple by hikari that i bought for them. should i be feeding them something else? they love the enriched brine i fed a few times but i know it's not very nutritious so don't want to feed it very often.

 

[vantgE]

Brine shrimp isn't safe in excess for the maylandia either.

The reason they are not eating them is because some fish especialy smaller ones have trouble getting used to pellets. The pellets may also be just to big. Whichever you suspect buy an all around flake food something with spirulina in it and when you judge they are big enough try to ween them onto it. As in don't feed for three days then try the pellet, if not feed em flake for a day or two, then reduce your feedings and offer pellets first and flakes after to ensure they are eating, If it doesn't work start all over again.

 

[veen]

oh ok, thanks. i tried crushing the pellets, also, but no luck with that either. do you have any suggestions for spirulina based food/flakes?

 

[freddyk]

If they don't eat it, cut out all food except for it - then remove the food after they don't eat it. They'll eat eventually, they always do.

 

[vantgE]

Yeah fredyk has a simpler way of doing it

I won't really suggest anything but currently mine are eating mostly HBH flake frenzy

 

[billy_69]

my fish go in spurts with the pellets. If i try to feed them to often they will just let it float around the tank and clutter my tank up. If i go 3 to 4 days with out pellets they will usually eat every bit of the pellets. just try to mix it up a little.

 

[veen]

great, thanks everyone. i went with someone's suggestion and got some spirulina enhanced flakes. they went nuts for them! so now i guess i'll just have to wean them off the flakes when they get a little larger and then get them onto the pellets if possible.

on another note, my yellow lab can be seen hanging vertically between the front tank wall and the hang on thermometer at any given time. is this "normal" or could it mean something is wrong with it? i have examined the lab & it looks ok, no visible parasites, fungus, etc. it swims normally and eats the spirulina flakes like a pig. i haven't seen the zebra harrass, chase, etc. the lab at all. anyone have any ideas what this could mean?

 

[freddyk]

It may be that he's getting picked on when you're not around, or he could just not be comfortab. Labs are grouping fish, they really come out with their own for company.

 

[veen]

oh, ok. should i get another or 2 for his/her comfort?

 

[freddyk]

Absoltuely, at least.

 

[veen]

great, thanks, i will do that. what about the zebra? will it be ganged up on if i add more labs?

 

[freddyk]

Not likely, they usually keep it amongst themselves. Of course with cichlids, you never know.

 

[veen]

you're right, they are leaving the blues alone. however, even though i added 2 more yellow labs the 1st lab still hangs out between the therm & front wall of the tank. i've seen it mix with the new labs but not much. perhaps they're still getting used to each other?

 

[vantgE]

Cichlids have very unique personalities this one yellow lab is likely very shy or submissive, and likely will continue thouh adding more is better

 

[veen]

you think i really should add more? in my last post i meant to say i added 3, not 2, more.